#GuestPost Chris Whitaker @WhittyAuthor

Today I am thrilled to have author Chris Whitaker on my blog! Chris is coming along to Bibliomaniac's Dazzling Debut book event next week to talk about life as author and his novel Tall Oaks. On my blog today, he is talking about that "difficult second book" so without further ado I am going to leave you with him! Enjoy! 

Difficult Second Book Syndrome

I’d heard the rumours from other authors. Book 2 is tough they said. Really tough.

Though I didn’t realise just how tough until it came to handing in the first draft. I’d worked on it for a couple of years but when I sat down with my editor I asked if I could have an extension. I didn’t know why, it just no longer felt right. Something had changed. 

 

So what was it?

I didn’t really know. Not at first. So I called bestselling author G.J. Minett for some sage advice. Book 2 was a piece of piss, he said. I knocked it out in three weeks and it’s already sold 50,000 copies. The f**kers out there will read anything I put my name to.

Hmm. Thanks, G.J.

Next I turned to David Young, of Stasi Child/Wolf fame. But he was busy touring the country in his sexy police car, flashing the lights and running the siren when the hoards of ‘Youngsters’ (like ‘Beliebers’ but much older) got too close to him.

I wondered how they did it. Was I alone?

Thankfully not. Step forward, Alex Caan. Two weeks till deadline and Alex had written 500 words. This was a man I could relate to. Maybe it’s the pressure, he said.  

And that was it.

Book 1 I had nothing. No deadline, no expectations, and no guarantee anyone would ever read it. Book 2 I had an agent, an editor, a team of people at my publishers, and the bloggers and readers who really enjoyed Tall Oaks, and they were all waiting for it.

Then there was my contract. A two book deal. Mess up book 2 and it’s all over. No more religiously checking awful Amazon rankings. No more crying over the 1-stars. No more driving 300 miles to speak to three people about a book they borrowed from the library and didn’t bother reviewing.

I couldn’t let the dream die. I’d had a taste of published-author-life and I wanted more. 

So I took a step back for a while, and I slowly began to see it was still me, sitting alone at my desk, trying to tell a story.

Nothing had really changed.

And once I got my head around that I began to see what I didn’t like about book 2. The concept was sound, but I knew the voice, the characters and the setting weren’t. Big changes. I knew it would be tough, almost like starting again, but I owed it to myself, and to everyone that took a chance on Tall Oaks, to do better.   

And now, almost three years since I first came up with the idea, I’m very close to having a finished draft.  And thanks to Joel and Bec (my supremely talented editors), it’s book I’m so incredibly proud to follow Tall Oaks with.

All The Wicked Girls will be published October 5^th 2017

Thanks Chris! So glad to hear that book 2 is now back on track - I am one of those bloggers desperate to read it!! I will be looking out for All the Wicked Girls in October! 

And for those of you that haven't yet read Tall Oaks (shame on you!) here's all you need to know! 



For fans of Twin Peaks and The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair, this brilliant debut is dark yet hilarious, suspenseful and sad.

Everyone has a secret in Tall Oaks . . .

When three-year-old Harry goes missing, the whole of America turns its attention to one small town.

Everyone is eager to help. Everyone is a suspect.

Desperate mother Jess, whose grief is driving her to extreme measures.

Newcomer Jared, with an easy charm and a string of broken hearts in his wake.

Photographer Jerry, who's determined to break away from his controlling mother once and for all.

And, investigating them all, a police chief with a hidden obsession of his own . . .

In Chris Whitaker's brilliant and original debut novel, missing persons, secret identities and dangerous lies abound in a town as idiosyncratic as its inhabitants.

More about Chris: 

Chris Whitaker was born in London and spent ten years working as a financial trader in the city. His debut novel, Tall Oaks, was published to critical acclaim in 2016 by Bonnier Zaffre. Tall Oaks was a Guardian crime book of the month as well as featuring in Crime Time’s top 100 books of 2016 and BuzzFeed’s incredible summer reads. 
Chris’s second novel, All The Wicked Girls, will be published in autumn 2017. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two young sons. 

Follow Chris on Twitter @WhittyAuthor

Bibliomaniac's Review of Tall Oaks: 

This is a great debut - that reads with the accomplishment and finesse of a much more established writer- set in small town America where 3 year old Harry has gone missing. Although the mystery of his disappearance is the main strand of the story, it is actually more a vehicle around which Whitaker can explore the different lives of the inhabitants. As the town works to uncover the truth behind Harry's disappearance, further lies, hidden pasts, secret ambitions, obsessions, relationships and all the other fascinating stories behind the people that live there, are revealed through wit, humour, pathos and empathy. As the blurb promises, this really is a "dark yet hilarious, suspenseful and sad" read.

The writing is vivid, engaging, lively and full of great dialogue and action. The book opens with the harrowing disappearance of Harry and the palpable grief of his mother Jess. Jim, the detective in charge of the case, is clearly deeply affected by the event as well. We are then, with each new chapter or section, introduced to more characters, each with their own complications. There is a lot to keep up with at the beginning and although a little overwhelmed, I was compelled to read on as I wondered how the threads were related and how they might converge as the novel progressed. Whitaker sets a healthy pace; the short chapters and alternating voices make it a very filmic read. Some of the characters bring humour and entertainment which counteracts the sadness of Jess's loss and the intensity of the narratives from her and Jim. There is a good balance.

Whitaker's ability to evoke such a range of scenarios is commendable. His presentation of small town America and the characters within it are completely convincing. Tall Oaks should be a picture perfect town with perfect white picket fences yet Whitaker manages to unnerve the reader with a prevailing sense of foreboding. His sense of location is very clearly established and it is easy to relate to all the characters whether they are likeable or not, vulnerable or strong. Reading this book was like binging on a box set. Other reviewers have compared it to "Fargo", "Twin Peaks" and "The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair". It certainly has that quirky, original, gripping feel. Personally it also felt to me like a rather dark version of "Desperate Housewives"!

Once half way through, I found the novel picked up further in pace and drama. I really enjoyed the story of Jerry and his mother - Whitaker's depiction of madness and control was purposefully despicable, unpleasant and shocking. Then Jim's obsession with Jess gave Whitaker an opportunity to explore the complex emotions of a police officer who gets over involved in a case. It certainly was a case of "just one more chapter..." (or "one more episode"!)which has always been my downfall and the true sign of a great book!

This book follows characters at transitional points in their lives; a time of challenging personal choices, change and new starts. Tall Oaks is a place which means different things to different people, whether it's somewhere to hide or somewhere to run from, a place of safety or a place of threat. It is compulsive rather than gripping, full of hard punches but not shocking. It has elements of a comedy, a thriller, a police procedural novel and lots of drama. The ending was absolutely suburb. Amazing. It was so well executed.

At the end of the novel, Abe says to Manny as they prepare to move on in their lives, it's the "end of an era". That's definitely how I felt when I (reluctantly) turned the last page.

I would highly recommend this book. 

For more reviews, recommendations and info about Dazzling Debuts follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) 

Tattletale by Sarah Naughton

This review is in danger of sounding like a string of cliches but sometimes those expressions really are the only ones that completely sum up what I want to say!

This has been one of the most anticipated psychological thrillers of the year and one that I have been desperate to get to while it's been sitting on my TBR pile. The flip side of this is that there is always a slight sense of trepidation before starting the book as it already has so much to live up to! However, Tattletale took this on board and confidently showed me all that warrants the praise it has been receiving. Sarah Naughton wasted no time in showing me that indeed, she is a writer to look out for; she is a talented author and this is one very good book!

The book is organised into Before and Then and Now sections and focuses on Abe. Abe lies in hospital in a coma, brain dead following a huge fall from the top of the stairs. Our narrators are Jody, his girlfriend who is desperate to show the police it can not have been suicide because they were so happy together and Mags, his sister. Mags is a lawyer and has returned from the her job in Vegas to find out what really happened to him. She has returned as she is the next of kin but she has not had a close relationship with her brother and seems oddly detached from such a traumatic situation. We also hear from a few other voices as the novel progresses but I am wary of giving anything away .........Tantalising? Well, that is Naughton's most obvious talent! She is incredibly tantalising.

Naughton knows how to hook you in straight away.

"Blood doesn't look like blood in the dark." 

I love a prologue - even though the opening is "Before" and not strictly a prologue, it opens with Abe's fall. There are no names mentioned at all and the third person narrative voice keeps it delightfully anonymous. And delightfully ambigious - another of Naughton's greatest skills! Yes, don't always expect to know exactly what is going on in this novel. It is full of unreliable narrators, some confusing plot twists and several layers of huge psychological twists and turns but ultimately the reward is huge and absolutely worth every moment of your investment as a reader.

There are several difficult to scenes to read - and even the opening chapters start with quite raw descriptions. It took me a while to root myself in the plot and side with the characters but I did. I think once the story settled into Mags' interaction with the police, Jody and the hospital I found myself really getting into the story and really beginning to enjoy Mags' voice.

Mags is feisty, confident and direct. When she first meets with the police to ascertain what happened to Abe and what is going on with their investigation, her training as a lawyer is obvious. She challenges them and shows her intelligence and her eye for seeing things differently or spotting other clues that might have been missed. I found these scenes of the victim's sister driving the investigation and almost interrogating the police really original and the total opposite from the way characters usually behave in this situation. No, Mags is a victim-not-a-victim and I think this is when I became truly fascinated by her character. I really couldn't wait for her sections and found her completely compelling throughout the entire novel.

"She's saved me from that guilt, and I should be on my knees in gratitude. So why aren't I? Because I'm a self-centred bitch, probably." 

Mags can be blunt, but also insightful. She can be cold and callous but she can also show vulnerability. She's alone and keeps people at arm's length but she can harness some empathy and ultimately will "right" things. She's perhaps not always completely likeable or someone I'd like to spend a lot of time with in the real world, but I really enjoyed spending time with her in the novel. Something about her appealed to me, made her an original character and certainly a memorable one.

Naughton's writing creates very vivid scenes, characters and dramatic moments. Her writing is direct, focused and full of impact. It is also full of evocative description and phrases that are actually fantastic examples of imagery and insight but often so understated it is easy to miss them. They contribute to the overall feel of the book and ensure that the reader knows they are reading something very well written.

"The bed is made, but I'll have to change the sheets - if only to rinse out Jody's tears from the pillow." 

I enjoyed her turn of phrase and her use of colours and observations of the human condition that snuck into the passages. Naughton can clearly write exceptionally well.

Naughton is also able to create very distinctive voices for the different characters from which she writes. She shows confident use of writing in the first, second and third person.

Jody sent a shiver down my spine from the start even though actually, she appears nothing more than harmless and we should feel deep, deep sympathy for her as she waits at Abe's bedside with more devotion than his sister. But warning bells to start to ring.

"....cheesy pop songs but suddenly every word meant something. It's such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you. I still feel that Abe. Even now. Even in the hospital, watching you struggle to breathe, watching the machine pump air into your lungs. It's a perfect day because I'm spending it with you." 

Hhhhmmmm. Definitely a character to keep an eye on! I can't really say more about her without giving things away but I think Naughton did a fantastic job of leading us up and down the staircase with this one!

The repetition of the words "From Abe. From Mags" which appears almost like a motif throughout the novel was so effective. These words are the only ones the siblings have exchanged in years and are from their Christmas cards. Simple. Seemingly detached and lacking in any kind of sentimentality, these words actually come to mean something quite powerful. I really liked that.

And the ending! With psychological thrillers we all talk about the twist, the turns, the unexpected rug pulling moment and all that we did not see coming but here, in Tattletale, it's all true! The complexity of the revelations and the deft skill with which Naughton manages the plot is impressive. There was only one word I kept thinking as I read the last quarter of the book and that was "Wow!"

Tattletale is a very original novel. It feels like a fresh interpretation of the psychological thriller genre and I have no doubt in my mind that this book will fly off the shelves and pronounce Naughton to be the next 'one to watch'. I'm certain she has a long, high profile career in front of her as a thriller writer and her fan base is already huge and growing daily. I will definitely be keeping my fingers crossed that this book does as well as it deserves.

Tattletale is published on 23rd March 2017 by Trapeze.

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomainacuk)

Write Away! An Evening of Creative Writing

BIBLIOMANIAC Presents: Write Away!

An evening of creative writing with 

Leigh Russell and Helen Cox

Harpenden Arms (upstairs)

8-10pm

Tuesday 25^th April 2017

£25*

**TICKET PRICE HAS BEEN REDUCED TO £15 FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY**

*ticket price includes 1 free drink & nibbles and 2 hours of a creative writing activities led by two authors 

Tickets available online only at: 

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/write-away-tickets-32879348015

Whether you've been writing for years or whether you've never picked up a pen before, come along for an evening of fun activities that will give you ideas, tips and advice as well as the chance to have a go at writing something in a secure and supportive environment!

Full time writer, Leigh Russell has written over 18 crime thriller novels and sold over 1 million copies of her books. A qualified teacher, she also runs creative writing courses nationally as well as appearing at literary festivals and events. http://www.leighrussell.co.uk

Helen Cox is the author of The Starlight Diner Series and a qualified teacher. She also has extensive experience within the self publishing and digital industry. Helen spends her time writing and teaching, including running creative writing programmes at City Lit which boasts many best selling authors amongst its staff and alumni. 
https://helencoxauthor.wordpress.com

 

Hosted by Bibliomaniac, a read-a-holic, English teacher and student of a plethora of creative writing courses with a stack of notebooks full of the first 500 words of numerous novels. Also runs a blog full of reading recommendations and reviews. Find out more here:

bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com 

Twitter: @katherinesunde3 

Facebook: katherine.sunderland.14 

Instagram: bibliomaniacuk1/

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffmann by Mindy Mejia

Seventeen-year-old Hattie Hoffman is a talented actress, loved by everyone in her Minnesotan hometown. So when she's found stabbed to death on the opening night of her school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of the community.

Local sheriff Del Goodman, a good friend of Hattie's dad, vows to find her killer, but the investigation yields more secrets than answers; it turns out Hattie played as many parts offstage as on. Told from three perspectives: Del's, Hattie's high school English teacher and Hattie herself, The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman tells the story of the real Hattie, and what happened that final year of school when she dreamed of leaving her small town behind . . .

The opening paragraph is told by Hattie and I instantly engaged with the description of a young girl trying to run away. How many of us haven't fantasised about leaving our lives behind at some point, about jumping on that train, aeroplane, coach and heading off into the unknown? It's a great start to a book as automatically it triggers a whole number of questions about why this person wants to leave and what are they running away from?

"Running away sucked. Here I was, standing in the exact place I'd daydreamed about it math class so many times, right in front of the departures board at the Minneapolis airport, and every detail was just like I'd pictured."

There's a couple of key words in here though - the details being as she had pictured. Welcome to the world of Hattie Hoffmann - to the last act of Hattie Hoffmann - to the story of Hattie Hoffmann's final year. Hattie Hoffmann who is the leading role in her school play and is a great actress. Hattie Hoffmann who has played so many different roles in her final act that even she has lost sight of what is true and what imagined scenes she playing out.

"Get off the stage sweetheart.....You can't live your life acting for other people." 

However, by the end of the first paragraph the only words ringing in my ears are:

"I could go anywhere. Do anything. So why did I feel trapped?"

And she has my sympathy. Well, for now anyway.........

We start with Hattie's narrative which is very effective as the opening chapter raises so many questions about her and her present situation. It ends with a cliffhanger - a threat - which made me turn the page only to be met with the news that she is dead. I wondered what sort of story I was going to be reading and was intrigued. I was also intrigued by the fact that one of the narrators of the story was actually dead. This automatically raises the level of tension when we return to the previous year to see events from her point of view as they lead up to her death.

I think Hattie was my favourite voice. In many ways Del, the sheriff is there to provide the reader with extra detail about the investigation and help us join the dots a bit. His voice is one of experience, one who has seen much of the world, old style and established in the community. He has some great lines like "Look what old fashioned police work turned up", and I liked him. Although he was still as real as Hattie, it was her voice that really felt alive and her energetic voice which I found most engaging.

Hattie's summing up of acting is poignant, mature, perceptive and suggestive of so much more of what is hiding behind this perfect student's eyes.

"Sometimes I think acting is a disease, but I can't say for sure because I don't know what it's like to be healthy." 

Mejia captures the voice of a seventeen year old extremely well, that delicate balance between adult and not-an-adult, that balance between thinking they are experienced in the ways of the world and yet still terribly naive.

"Ever since I bought my Motorola this summer she acted like I was carrying Satan in my purse. ......Why couldn't I text my friends and check my forums?"

Hattie's dismissiveness of the fact that the Internet is full of people hiding behind a false identity is subtly ironic and also reflects her youthful arrogance which then starts her journey down a path that changes everything. Online she finds someone, strikes up a conversation with someone, develops a relationship with someone but how well does she really know this person? How much of his real life has he really revealed? And how honest is she about hers? All these questions define Hattie. Who is the real Hattie Hoffmann and does she know what she is doing - is it planned, controlled and thought through or is it confused and wrapped up in fiction? All that is clear is that this relationship that begins on screen that lays the foundations for the tragedy of her final act.

The third narrator, Peter, is an interesting character, one for whom my sympathy transferred backwards and forwards several times. His chapters offer a lot of insight, pertinent observations and thought provoking passages that both help the reader to gain a deeper understanding of Hattie's character but also build tension and suspense. Mejia's ability to write from a male perspective is completely convincing and she captures Peter's obsession, loss of control, actions, thoughts and decision very well.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffmann is absorbing. It's a page turner but not in a conventional way. There are some shocking twists and turns but really this is a character driven book and what makes you turn the page is the chilling and unnerving fascination with the characters and what has happened between them. Hattie is a complex character. She is truly psychologically complex and quite unforgettable.

This is a novel about a teenager, about falling in love, about getting embroiled in events that soon spiral beyond her control. But don't be deceived, it is not just a novel about '"stupid kids" or high school. This is a novel about a small town, about ambitions, dreams, secrets and ultimately murder. This is a crime story, a police procedural, a murder investigation but also it is a deeply psychological tale about power, manipulation and obsession. It is a great read and it is going to haunt many readers long after it has entertained them. The story refers to Macbeth a lot and maybe there is something Shakespearean about this book. Romeo and Juliet, Lady Macbeth, King Lear...... maybe there are aspects of all these stories hiding in the wings while the last act of Hattie Hoffmann plays out on the stage.

It is an evocative novel and Mejia has achieved something very impressive with her first UK novel. I hope there will be more to come from her as I would love to read more.

The Last Act of Hattie Hoffmann is published by Quercus on 9th March 2017.

Mindy Mejia 



My name is Mindy Mejia and I’m a writer. I write because, ever since I was six years old, my favorite game has been pretend. My life doesn't have symmetry, theme, symbolism, or meditated beauty and I gravitate toward these things like a houseplant to the sun. I love the perfect words; I love how “fierce” and “confounded” and “swagger” look on the page and how my chest expands when I read them. I write because I believe in the reality of my fantasies, the truth in my fabrications. I’ve always had stories sneaking around my head, thrillers like THE DRAGON KEEPER and EVERYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE, and sometimes I inhabit those stories more than my own life. (Best not to mention that last part to my husband, kids, or boss.)

www.MindyMejia.com
@MejiaWrites

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

Grand Prize: Murder! by Vivian Conroy

I like Vivian Conroy's writing. I enjoyed her Lady Alkmene series which are historical cozy crime novels set in the 1920s and this is the second in Conroy's new series, The Country Gift Shop Series, which is as pleasing and charming. Conroy's novels do all that their attractive covers suggest. They are cozy. They are crime stories. They are easy to read, enjoyable and well paced.

The cover and the series title perhaps suggest something quite twee but although the influence of Miss Marple is clearly an influence for Conroy, there is something a little bit more quirky and humorous rather than saccharine about these books. And they are crime stories so there is blood, there is murder, there is violence and police investigations. There are all the elements a reader wants and needs to make the stories compelling and Conroy ensures that you are engaged with the story and characters so that you want to read on until the end.

Although this is book 2 in the series, it doesn't matter if you haven't read book 1 as Conroy swiftly brings everyone up to date in the first chapter with a succinct summary of all you need to know. But to be honest, these are light and easy reads at around 220 pages so it won't take you long to catch up if you want to start from the beginning!

We return to Glen Cove and to Vicky Simmons and her gift shop. This time, Vicky is awaiting the arrival of Bella Brookes who is a cozy crime author coming for a book signing and to open Glen Cove's One Mile Book Market. There's also going to be a scavenger hunt - which I thought was an inspired idea for any book signing event as well as a rather clever plot device!

I think Conroy had quite a lot of fun writing this novel and she must have enjoyed writing about a cozy crime author and a book event! Bella Brookes is a fantastic, larger than life character who the readers loves to love, cringe at, feel frustrated by and maybe even hate as she has so much self confidence and such a sense of self importance. Her flamboyancy and then her rudeness are well evoked and she makes a for a character who leaps of the page with her vitality and personality. The effect she has on the people around her is amusing and I really enjoyed the description of her arrival at the party. Nor does she fade or whither when accused of being a suspect in the murder.

But she is not the only colourful character - there are many more here in Glen Cove. And as well as the interlopers and visitors, there are also the steady, quiet, reliable and honourable employees at the gift shop, the police department and in Vicky's group of friends. They are a great bunch to spend some time with and it was enjoyable to watch the relationships developing as the second novel continued.

Of course I cannot include spoilers so I cannot reveal any more about the characters and the storyline but I would recommend these books. They should be on every readers book shelf, ready for when you fancy some escapism, light relief or a good thriller that will give you enough clues, hints and revelations without dragging you into anything too violent or stomach churning. Recommend!

Grand Prize: Murder is out in ebook on 15th March 2017.

Vivian Conroy

Vivian Conroy discovered Agatha Christie at 13 and quickly devoured all Poirot and Miss Marple stories. Over time Lord Peter Wimsey and Brother Cadfael joined her favorite sleuths. Even more fun than reading was thinking up her own fog-filled alleys, missing heirs and priceless artifacts. So Vivian created feisty Lady Alkmene and enigmatic reporter Jake Dubois sleuthing in 1920s London and the countryside, first appearing in A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR (published by Carina UK/Harper Collins). Now she has created the contemporary Country Gift Shop Mysteries published by HQ Stories.

@VivWrites
@HQStories @HQDigitalUK

For my reviews of Vivian Conroy's other titles please use the links below:
Dead To Begin With #1 Country Gift Shop Series
A Proposal To Die For #1 Lady Alkmene Series

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) or sign up to receive future posts via email. Thank you!